Hornady Lock-N-Load Bullet comparator for sorting bullets

Hey, I'm thinking to get Hornady Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparator to sort bullets from base to ogive, and I need some clarification. Do I also need Anvil Base Kit or I'll be fine with my caliper and Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparator?
I heard 2 Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparators required....

You can use different caliber holes to measure different parts of the same bullet. I just use the caliper and this hex nut.... nothing else needed. There are two different ones(hex nuts), get both to cover just about every caliber. Works for COL too.

"Do I also need Anvil Base Kit or I'll be fine with my caliper and Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparator?"

Not to pee on your parade but unless you're already consistanly shooting well under .5 moa I suspect you're fannin' the winds with such meticulus sorting.

DIM

June 6, 2010, 08:35 AM

Yes my groups usually stay well below 0.5" more like 0.4" 0.3", I use competition bullets with hollow points and I use meplat trimmer to get consistent OAL. Sometimes I get fliers, I think it has to to with my bullets sorting, bullets are not consistent with their ogive. I was thinking about hex comparator then I saw Hornady Lock-N-Load Bullet comparator.

Walkalong

June 6, 2010, 09:21 AM

competition bullets with hollow points
If you are using custom Benchrest bullets, seat them and forget it. Work on technique and doping the wind.
Sometimes I get fliers
Don't we all. ;)

You do need some way to check and record how far off (or in to) the lands you are. That is what you want to be consistent. The Hornady tool will work just fine. I used the hex nut JimKirk linked to when I was shooting Benchrest.

O.A.L. means nothing. The distance of the ogive from the lands is important.

What gun? Stock? Semi-Custom? Custom?

DIM

June 6, 2010, 09:50 AM

both bolt action one TC ICON Precision Hunter in 308 another Remington 700 in 223, 26" bull barrel and Bell & Carlson Tactical Medalist A2 stock, both guns shoot below 1/2" usually I get 4 shots in .35 and a flier so whole groups measures 0.5 - 0.7, but sometimes they all stay within 0.35 - 0.4...

Walkalong

June 6, 2010, 10:05 AM

usually I get 4 shots in .35 and a flier
Sounds like the classic 4 & 1 group. The difference between a .186 & a .398 (http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=69920&d=1198847199). Arghhh.

DIM

June 6, 2010, 10:35 AM

its more like this...

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1148/bcrem1002.jpg

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7668/bcrem1003.jpg

DIM

June 6, 2010, 10:42 AM

Here is 308

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/2151/tar3081.jpg

DIM

June 6, 2010, 11:00 AM

The 223 are not match bullets they just V-Max or Nosler Ballistic Tips, the 308 is what giving most of the trouble, since I bought big box 1K+ of Nosler Custom Competition bullets they seemed to be mixed batches, nothing like when I buy them in 100 or 250 packs, now I have to weight every single one, to much variance, length is the same, even with the same length they seating differently it has to do with ogive difference as well... Here what groups looked like when I used 100 or 250 ct packs

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/482/img014u.jpg

JimKirk

June 6, 2010, 12:10 PM

Good shooting there DIM! Most people really have very little need of tools like we are talking about, you look like you could use the benefits that a comparator would provide. I fully understand the variants in weight and ogive among different lots of bulk bullets, looks like they could give you 250 off one machine and keep those variants to a smaller amount.

Jimmy K

DIM

June 6, 2010, 12:21 PM

Thank you JimKirk! so the hex tool is more suitable in sorting bullets? One of the reasons why I'm looking at Hornady is the ability to measure bullet bearing length, that part of the bullet touching rifling in the barrel while its traveling through, but I think I will need 2 Hornady Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparator, and I'm not sure if I can use one of them just to measure bullets from base to ogive...

JimKirk

June 6, 2010, 03:08 PM

Sorry to imply that it was better than the Hornady, I do not have a Hornady.

The Sinclair Hex nut is cut with throat reamers for each of the caliber holes(6/nut), two different Nuts with 6 holes each covers just about everything up to .338, I believe.

I use the correct caliber hole for the bullet I'm using, but it is possible to measure the ogive with a smaller caliber hole to compare the ogives themselves. Take a 7mm bullet for example, measure with the 7mm(.284) hole to get ogive to rifling fit. You can then use the .25 cal hole to make another, then 6mm .... right on down to the tip of the bullet. All that does is compare the uniformity of the ogive using a "uniformed" hole, if that makes sense.

Jimmy K

DIM

June 6, 2010, 04:11 PM

yes I think I get the idea how thing works, hmm I been sorting my bullets using bullet seating stem from bullet seating die in such caliber, using such always producing exact seating...

Walkalong

June 6, 2010, 06:42 PM

Very good shooting DIM

With groups like that, if you are not shooting over wind flags you won't get much better. Get some flags and learn to read the wind.

ranger335v

June 6, 2010, 07:10 PM

Nice groups. You are fully qualified to be as anal about bullets as you like.

DIM

June 6, 2010, 10:17 PM

Thank you all!!! Well I think I'll get comparator from Hornady, then if it requires I'll buy Anvil Kit later. The hex tool does look promising, however I see no way to mount it to the caliper, that what I do with bullet seating stem right now. Wind flags well I sort of look at the wind by the way grass moves and try to compensate if its constant, I don't have all day to seat and wait for the right moment, I usually do hang tape by the target that's about it and I have my load book open so when wind does blow pages are flipping :-)

Walkalong

June 6, 2010, 10:29 PM

Wind flags well I sort of look at the wind by the way grass moves and try to compensate if its constant, I don't have all day to seat and wait for the right moment, I usually do hang tape by the target that's about it and I have my load book open so when wind does blow pages are flipping
That isn't going to cut it if you want to shrink 6's and 7's in to 3's and 2's consistently . :)

90% of Benchrest is reading the wind. Maybe more. Everyone (well...98%) has equipment that can win.

Again...great shooting. I am not trying to bust your bubble, just tell you what you asked. AC

JimKirk

June 6, 2010, 10:43 PM

That's part of the beauty of the hex, DIM, it does not tie up your calipers and it does the same exact thing as the Hornady does. All you need to do is measure from the base of the bullet or case to the ogive of the bullet at point of rifling contact.

Please don't base your choice on my experience with the hex tool, I simply wanted to let you know how easy a simple tool could make a simple job.

Jimmy K

DIM

June 6, 2010, 10:48 PM

Jimmy K, I just don't want to have 2 things which can produce same result, trying to get something efficient and something I can use in the future or with conjunction what I have... or maybe I'll buy hex I still haven't decide :-)

justn1185

August 25, 2011, 10:33 AM

This seems rather late given your last post in 2010, DIM, but I too have been shopping around and trying to understand what tool does what with what. I'm new to reloading but have shot competition for several years so I know what I need. Unfortunately, I've seen very little "great" explanation/instruction for most of these little do-hickies (especially from Hornady's own website) but found sites like TheHighRoad and their opinions to be just as valuable as my manual.
In short (too late) you are fine with just the comparator and caliper. However, the anvil does help as it fits on the opposite end of a caliper blade to provide a larger surface area for your measurements. I bought one just to ensure I wasn't measuring in tilt with my comparator.

DIM

August 26, 2011, 12:33 PM

actually I'm using meplat trimmer body
http://spinstage.http.internapcdn.net/Spinstage/userdocs/skus/p_749002539_1.jpg
in combination with Hornady bullet comparator to sort my bullets by ogive and bearing surface. You can also achieve same by using 2 bullet comparators on both ends.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/images/hand-loading-long-range-2-005.jpg

MCMXI

August 27, 2011, 05:22 AM

I use Redding Instant Indicator Case Comparators. They're fast and accurate and can measure cartridge "headspace", base to ogive, OAL and case length.